Madeira News Blog

TODAY’S PHOTOS : Thanks to Sue … Quinta do Lorde

"Took advantage of the beautiful weather on Sunday and we went to do a check up on the status of Ponta de São Lourenço Peninsula where they are recreating a small typical coastal village that is called Quinta do Lorde Resort.  Things have moved in a year but cannot believe it will be finished in June 2010, which is their prediction date.  The initial start was made with the Marina (which does have one bar/restaurant) and some initial housing.  This development will include various bars and restaurants, plazas, incredibly a chapel, a gourmet shop, also, I was informed it will have its own supermarket and pharmacy.  Anyone interested in reading more able it should go to their web page www.quintadolorde.pt ".

You sound quite upbeat  about it Sue, but it is an ecological and visual nightmare in the situation where it was built. Not only that, the planning consent process was a farce, and the development is even bigger and higher than the consent that was ‘granted’ allowed. The PSD social democrats have managed to quash various attempts to uncover what really went on, through the Regional Assembly, including a forced public enquiry, and god only knows how many fat brown envelopes were involved. From a personal perspective I would say don’t visit, don’t buy, and tell anyone thinking of buying that they will be condoning ‘naughtiness’ on a breathtaking scale. (I didn’t use the word I really wanted to).

On the 1st of November 2009 3 American species of ducks were recorded in Madeira Island. Wood Ducks, the Green-winged Teal, and American Wigeons were spotted, with one species sighted for the first time. MADEIRA WIND BIRDS for more information and great photos, and a video.

"Nailed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the paradisiac archipelago of Madeira offers a different trip, to a wild corner which principal element is the Forest of Laurisilva, forest relic classified by the UNESCO like Natural World Patrimony. It is one of the few ones in the world that there preserves the purity that existed millions of years ago". I guess the author of this article meant well, but the writing style is just a bit weird. NEW WAYS TO USE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

José Sócrates presents government programme for the next four years – MPs of the PSD and PS don’t assume for now any firm position. Thursday and Friday have been scheduled for debating the document. Rather than speculate about what the proposals will do for Madeira in terms of the revision of the regional finance law, Madeira’s MPs will wait to see the conclusions of the various parliamentary groups that  will meet to discuss the issues. With a reduced majority, Sócrates may have to negotiate with other parties both to the left and right, to get the programme accepted. As president Jardim already had the commitment of the PSD nationally to accept changes to the regional finance law (a pre-election deal), then it may stand a good chance of going through. Exactly what it will do for us the people in €€€s and our economy I can’t really tell you, as I can’t remember everything, but we will know fairly soon I would imagine.

Many thanks again to Elaine for a summary of yesterday’s main news article :

Portuguese consuming less. Following on from the report about fewer imports /exports in Madeira. Portuguese consumers are taking advantage of  falls in interest rates on housing loans to pay off debt and increase savings, but do not seem to consume more, preferring to defer purchases of higher value. This is typical behaviour in times of recession and crisis, and savings rates have risen. They have not started to buy for Christmas yet.

522 new cancer patients already this year. The numbers of cancers detected are increasing each year, as they are worldwide. 453 in 2005 and 614 last year. Increases are mainly in colon cancer and breast cancer which are thought to be due to less healthy lifestyles. Survival rates are improving due to early diagnosis and more effective treatment. Malignancy is still the second cause of death in Madeira, exceeded by cardiovascular diseases. In 2006, there were 462 deaths from cancers, breast cancer leading. About a thousand patients use the Day Hospital  facilities, mainly for oncological diseases as well as others.

Airport security guards want more recognition. Since May 2007, the access controls at the airport of Madeira are no longer the responsibility of the police but ‘Securitas’ security guards. These workers have minimal training and are not certified. They are regularly trained with bogus bomb threats without much knowledge of weapons or explosives. Despite the increased responsibility, they are in the same category as other security staff, e.g. supermarket employees. The responsibilities are not proportional to the category. They want a recognized professional career. They are responsible for passenger screening, staff screening and luggage security checks, e.g.. using x-ray machines and other detectors. The task of the police is to maintain public order and prevention of incidents. The National Association of Wardens wants the airport authorities and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to establish a new professional category for airport security staff that would create better conditions, wages and training. This was promised in March but has not been implemented. A ‘Securitas’ spokesman says it is up to the union and the authorities to resolve labour issues. The training is the same as for those working in other situations with an additional 71 hours of specific training for airport employment.

Residents do not want funeral directors in their apartment block. Originally a cafe was promised in the commercial area on the ground floor of the apartment block in Porto Santo. The residents now realize a funeral parlour is being installed. The conversion work has started without any notification, or authorization by the apartment owners, as established by law. Following their complaints, the council have stopped the building works as they are unauthorized by either the council or the residents. Any other types of trade will also need approval.

Rockfall threatened access to Nun’s Valley just before festivities. About 4.10 am, there was a landslide from the back garden of a house onto the Estrada da Eira do Serrado blocking the only access to Nun’s Valley, where they expected thousands of sightseers to the Chestnut Festival. The 72 year old owner immediately hired men and a lorry to clear the debris although it was still dark. The firemen visited later on Sunday and just put red tape across the area where there should have been a support wall to prevent the collapse but did not recommend that the owner moves out. The owner built the house 30 years ago and the council queried its legality. He has recently noticed cracks in the walls of the house which he blames on the increased traffic, especially lorries on the nearby road. He is hoping the council will start securing the area on Monday.

Councillors safeguard their own interests (receive more money). The later they leave, the more money they receive. The inauguration ceremonies for new councillors and mayors are on November 2nd instead of being in October. If the outgoing staff left in October, they would receive 10 months salary. By delaying to November, they receive an additional month’s salary and full Christmas bonus.

Constitutionalist Jorge Miranda believes that the Lisbon Treaty "is a mistake". "For better or worse, the Lisbon Treaty, which is almost a carbon copy of the former called the European Constitution severely limits the powers of state sovereignty and therefore it will also affect the relationship between States and Autonomous Regions." Jorge Miranda says the important thing is "to strengthen the participation of the Autonomous Regions in the European construction." He is pro-Europe but against the new agreement. "I am an advocate of European integration but not in this sense of very centralized and federalist."  —- From yesterday’s rant, Bertie for EU President?

New exhibition about whales and dolphins of Madeira in Ponta do Pargo. 4 December to 4 January in the Civic Centre. The exhibition is organized by the Whaling Museum in Caniçal and will display images taken between 2004 and 2006 of dolphins and whales that inhabit the seas of the Madeira archipelago. (The permanent exhibition at the Whale Museum is presently closed)

Porto Bay wants to open two more hotels in Brazil. The economic crisis in Europe has made the group rethink its strategy and take advantage of the good indications for the Brazilian market, with extraordinary economic growth and a series of events scheduled for the coming years. Three of their hotels have 500 beds in Rio de Janeiro, Buzios and São Paulo. In the future Olympic city of Rio, in Copacabana, the Porto Bay International hotel has 117 rooms and is also well placed for two airports and exploring the historic town, shops, museums, park and night life. They want to adapt or build a beach hotel in the northeast.

Naviera Armas and Ports Institute on a collision course. The Spanish owner ensures that they comply with the rules imposed by the licence to load and unload at the port. The regulator ruled the operation illegal. The company is working with their lawyers to provide their defence. The case could go to both the Portuguese and Spanish Governments.

Some of today’s news headlines :

There have been 4 new cases of Gripe A swine flu detected on Madeira this last week. Three of the cases came from Venezuela and Belgium. The big relief is that there have still not been any cases in our schools.

Madeira’s newest airline FlyMI made it’s inaugural flight today. The plane is on the TV as I type, already landed at Madeira airport, so I assume it has delivered it’s first cargo inbound from Lisbon.

On the front page of today’s Diário :

Support for ‘Flor do Mar’ refused by Tribunal de Contas (Audit Office) – In dispute is the contract of accommodation for the professionals that shoot the film. Flor do Mar is the national soap opera filmed on Madeira by TVI. Putting up 50 people for three weeks every month between September 2008 and last May, was too much said the tribunal. The arrangements were made through the secretary for Tourism and Transport, and have set Madeira back €423,040. The issue was that the cast and crew were accommodated in the ‘CS’ hotel, and the contract for accommodation should have gone out to tender. The tourism secretary has argued that it was all arranged as a matter or urgency to safeguard the public interest, and appealed the decision, but the appeal has been rejected.

The main headline today : Complaints in the hotel sector – The trade union talks of over one hundred cases of unpaid staff. The Chamber of Commerce of Funchal says that the numbers are worrying, but requires confirmation of the numbers. The TU spokesman says the salary arrears also extend to restaurants and other hotel establishments. The numbers relate to trade union members, when in fact between 50 and 60% of hotel workers are not in the trade union, saving themselves 1% of their salaries.

Madeira wants to widen the the timescales for applying for community funds of QREN.

Most of today’s front page is taken up with a photo of our two football teams, Nacional and Marítimo, pictured in a joint team pose : Derby game in Caracas – IV Banif Trophy to be played in Venezuela. The game will take place in may 2010, at the end of the premier league.

‘Night of the witches’ brought bad luck for 5 youths from Porto Santo – Inappropriate adventure suppressed by the police. That’s the name given to Halloween night in Portugal, although it is noticeable that ‘Halloween’, the actual name is becoming more popular. The 5 youths, who gathered together to play some pranks on Friday night, tried to rob an elderly woman wearing masks, and also raided an empty holiday home as a ‘haunted house’. It seems the police at the arrest were not happy with the situation, and gave the gang a good kicking, and that will be the subject of a counter complaint against the police.

Individual detained in Santa Catarina with 5 thousand doses in his body. The 25 year old Portuguese man was detained at the airport and taken to hospital where the drugs (cocaine) were removed through surgery. The drugs have a street value of €125,000. The man is being held in custody, and was under surveillance by police prior to his arrest.

Maiata : People insist on using dangerous road. Maiata is in Porta da Cruz, and the road in question is closed through danger of rockfall, a fact that does not worry the local population, who seemingly use it as they always have.

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(15th September). Today’s main news headline : ‘Câmara Loses Revenue – Funchal council charged tax to the Pestana Hotel Group at the start of an unconstitutional regulation. As a result, 15 years after, it is forced to return 255 thousand Euros’. It’s an old case, dating back to December 1994, when the boss of the Pestana Group was told that the câmara had determined the payment for council tax had been established at over €255,000 for the division of lots at the site of Quinta Leacock. The local authority considered that such a fee was payable under the Regulations of Fees and Licenses, passed by the council on 9th May 1994. The Pestana Group argued that the site, intended for the construction of the ‘Pestana Village’, was exempt from the regulations, and first appealed to the courts in 1996. From there it gets complicated and detailed, but in a nutshell, 13 years after the initial court case, the Pestana Group has now won its battle, and is now free to recover the payment which should never have been made.

Today’s main front page photo shows a concerned lady pointing up at the scenic rock face in front of her : ‘Houses And Road At Risk In Madalena – The report of LREC confirmed the evident signs of ‘instability’ in the rock face’. A cliff face with obvious signs of instability is causing concern in Madalena do Mar. It’s the part between sítios da Palmeira (above) and Banda d`Além (below) in the general area of the bathing complex to the west. It is causing particular concern, as in the event of a collapse, the buildings above could also be sent plummeting. The findings are revealed in a report by the Regional Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LREC), who were on site to assess the conditions of the problem area located slightly ahead of the mouth of the tunnel that leads to Calheta, almost opposite the access ramp to the local beach. A spokesman from Ponta do Sol council tries to reduce the fears saying that "the opinion is just a warning. There is nothing [danger] imminent". However, the council is working with a housing organisation "trying to find alternative space" for residents in the danger zone, because says the council president, "perhaps not to do ‘the devil contrives’ and we have there another problem in our hands" (as a rule, I try and avoid translating such sayings or expressions). The assessment by LREC was triggered by an application for a building permit for a block of 12 apartments, an application that was understandably refused in the circumstances. Amongst the recommendations of the LREC to stabilise the rock face are dynamic barriers, high strength mesh, and where possible steel and concrete reinforcement, as well as the building of a wall lower down to retain falling rocks. The report also warns of the danger of carrying out the costly work, which in itself might trigger some problems, and the dangers of continuing erosion through atmospheric conditions. Rui Marques, council president, who is a qualified engineer, believes that the LREC report is "just a warning of the possibility and not an imminent situation. The opinion is more about prevention, with care needed not to scare people", he said.

’87% Of Candidates Get Placements In The First Phase Of Higher Education – Just 187 Madeiran students didn’t get through’. It is the lowest number in recent years, with only 187 students not placed in the first stage of the competition for access to Higher Education. 87% of the candidates who competed on Madeira for a place in the Portuguese universities were selected. Until this Friday, the 187 students who were not placed in the first round of applications, can still compete for vacancies that remained unfilled.

Today’s sport headline : ‘Award For Dinis – The awards ‘Diário / Powerade’ will be delivered today, distinguishing also the dedication of Dinis Aveiro to regional sport’. A posthumous ‘career award’ is to be made to Dinis, for his contribution to sport on Madeira, and in particular his club ‘CF Andorinha’. Always the last to leave after training, putting away the equipment, always with a smile, and an urge to monkey around, he was a true example of dedication and love for his football club. Then at the weekend, he was always off to watch his football team Marítimo. Not a name many readers will recognise for sure, but you might of heard of his son, Cristiano Ronaldo.

A group of mothers from Câmara de Lobos are threatening to stop their kids going to school, because despite living some way away from the school their children attend, they are not able to receive subsidised but passes. Yesterday morning, the group tried to get a reaction from the school and the Department for Education and Culture, but without success, and now they threaten that their children, aged between 10 and 15, will not go to school unless there is a solution to the problem. The golden rule seems to be ‘one kilometre’ away to qualify for a subsidised bus pass (normally costing €43 a month in this case), but it seems that schools have some say in the matter, taking into account distance, roads [existence?], and even steep slopes. With ‘back to school’ next week, and elections that following Sunday, probably something will be done very quickly to pacify matters and keep the voters happy.

‘Serra d’ Água Will Be A Mini European City’. President Jardim highlighted the "notable unban regeneration" in Serra d’ Água in recent years, during the inauguration of the new plaza (pictured) and public park of the parish. Alberto João Jardim went as far as to compare the location within the region of Ribeira Brava to "any well developed small town in Europe". The parish is now equipped with a multifunctional space especially designed for leisure and entertainment, with an amphitheatre, a playground, a bar with a terrace, and an underground car park of two floors with the capacity for 59 cars. €1.7 million has been spent, and further investment is promised.

‘The number of cancer patients has increased’. Following yesterday’s headline in the Diário about the lack of resources and conditions for cancer patients attending hospital in Funchal, with some having to go private for scans, the Regional Secretary for Social Affairs assures that the prevention of cancer, early diagnosis, and treatment of cancer patients, are priorities of the Madeira Government. However, it is also true that "the number of patients with cancer has been increasing alarmingly". He assures that works are planned to expand, and points out the recently opened Radiation Therapy Centre, and also the new centre for the Volunteers of the Portuguese League Against Cancer. The Secretary states that the situation will change substantially after the expansion work in the Department of Hemato-Oncology. At that time, there will be a ‘Unit for Pain’, as well as better equipment to make diagnostic tests.

(14th September). Today’s main news headline : ‘Oncology Without Means Causes Desperation – The hospital promises rectification but admits to not having conditions nor doctors to attend to the dozens of patients that pass each day in the service Haemato-Oncology(?), where there are tac and ultrasound scans waiting to be dealt with’. The service is working at its limit, and just doesn’t have the medical means and conditions to serve the hundreds of patients who attend the service of Hemato-Oncology (I am having trouble with medical terms here, hence the different spelling!). Maria’s life took a turn when her husband became ill and doctors discovered that he had cancer in his tongue. The last months have been a struggle with consultations, treatments, tests and long waits in the Emergencies Department, in the services of Hemato-Oncology and Radiotherapy Centre. Funchal Central Hospital has two oncologists, and they cannot meet the demand for tacs and other scans. Patients, such as Maria’s husband, are being referred to the private sector, and having to pay. Maria explains that it is not just the illness that burdens, it is more than that. She says with tears dancing in her eyes, that if it wasn’t for the understanding at her work, she would be unemployed by now. Her husband cannot take public transport to the hospital from their home in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, and so she needs to pay €30 for a taxi, a lot of money on a domestic helpers salary, and money is already tight. Two scans needed cost her another €85, and the long periods of waiting mean taking a lot of time off work. Maria’s story is similar to many family members of patients who receive a cancer diagnosis, and they have to learn to cope with the disease and with a system lacking conditions, doctors and resources to act adequately. Even the clinical director of the Department of Health for Madeira acknowledges that it is true, but reminds that improvements are planned for the service of Hemato-Oncology, with work starting in October with an expansion of the laboratory test area. More consulting and treatment areas, with better conditions, are also planned, but the director says it is dependant on bureaucratic procedures. Even with new scanning equipment being planned, the unit will not be able to cope with all the requirements, and people will continue to be referred to private practices. FOOTNOTE : If referred by the health service to a private practice, under the green requisition system, the price paid is significantly reduced from that normally charged.

‘Beach-Goers Block Cemetery – Confusion at the cemetery entrance, that is located near to the beach meaning parking spaces are much in demand’. This is just across the valley from me, and quite why it is on the front page I don’t know. Anyway, despite there being a car park right next to the beach, people don’t want to pay, so the road outside the cemetery, that overlooks the beach, gets congested and cemetery access is a problem. It is particularly a problem when there is a funeral, and the necessary vehicles cannot get access. The council say it is a matter for the police to deal with, but calls for "a little civility" to ensure there is access and that those who need to visit the cemetery can park there. According to a local priest, "it is a fact that there really is a lack of civility, but also it is a reality we are experiencing, in that people need to save a few cêntimos, so it is natural to look for spaces where one doesn’t need to pay". The police say they are aware of the situation, and that numerous cars have already been fined, and will continue to ensure the area is policed. It is an offence to to deny access to properties, buildings, and garages, and any cases noticed should be promptly reported to the police.

Another ‘headline’, is the announcement that that applications are open today for the Diário’s annual event, the ’100 Biggest & Best Companies’. Moving on …

The main front page picture today is from yesterday’s football match : ‘First Defeat Marked With Mistakes – Marítimo lost to the championship leader (Braga). Carlos Carvalhal (Manager), that has only won 2 games out of the 16 since training the verde-rubros, blames the referee. What lacks is an excuse for the apathy in attack’.

‘Champion Sand Sculptor’. Brandon Allen is from Porto Santo, is 14 years old, and is the latest national champion of sand sculptures. The competition, an initiative of the Diário de Notícias in Lisbon, had the final on the white sand beach in Lourinha in Portugal, with the winners from 29 beaches nationwide competing for the prestigious title. Brandon won with his feminine sculpture shown, and is the first ever winner from Porto Santo. On winning, "It was indescribable, I was thrilled and very happy. There are no words to describe what I felt", said Brandon.

The parish (freguesia) of Camacha has a new website : www.freguesiadacamacha.pt

‘Competition To Inaugurate Cycle Path’. The cycle path at Estrada Monumental will be inaugurated on Friday by Funchal council, and a competition is being held to mark the occasion for ‘non polluting’ (home made) vehicles, such as go karts. Judging is to be at 7 pm. A number of events have also been organised for Saturday and beyond, to mark the European Week For Mobility. It ends on the 22nd September with the opening of the ‘Green Line’ (Linha Verde), when the five buses that work the route between Funchal and Praia Formosa will be replaced with the new environmentally friendly models, which should also relieve traffic congestion on the route.

UPDATES FROM THE POLITICAL NEWS :

The last of today’s headlines : ‘Debate Puts 12 Talking Together For An Hour – The proposal of RTP-M doesn’t please the candidacies where national and local elections are mixed’. The debate on the Madeira TV channel is scheduled for the 23rd September, but those expected to take part are not happy with the proposed format, which will involve 12 representatives from the different political parties to sit and debate in one single session lasting a little over an hour. Bernardo Trindade, the head of the socialist list said: "The PS will be present, out of respect for Madeira and Porto Santo, but we are well aware that this debate will serve for nothing, since it is impossible to discuss seriously the problems affecting Madeira and in Porto Santo (in such a forum)". It would certainly be a spectacle of unpleasantness and disorder that I would watch, but as for a decisive guide for the discerning voter, I think not. I feel however that I have a duty to say that there is no truth in the rumour that President Jardim’s social democrats are happy with the 12 person format, on the condition that exactly 11 of them are PSD representatives, in line with the democratic principles of the party on Madeira. 

‘Santa Cruz inaugurates 12 works up to the elections – In less than a month 23% of the works promised will be inaugurated’. The electoral program with which the current PSD president of Santa Cruz, José Alberto Gonçalves, was elected four years ago, promised 51 public works in the 5 districts of the region. 12 of these are due to be inaugurated, or opened, before the local elections on 11th October. Opposition parties accuse the council of trying to mislead the voters and cover up the failures of the current administration. On the face of it, the opposition have a bit of a point, as spread evenly the inaugurations should work out at about one a month, not 12 in less than 4 weeks. However, like all councils, Santa Cruz have to do things the ‘Uncle Bertie way’, and that means holding projects back until election time to leave the voters with good and very recent memories, as their needs and desires are fulfilled. Are voters really that stupid, as Bertie and the PSD are indirectly implying. I think not. The majority will still vote for Bertie regardless of how many white elephants, pigs in pokes, and BS the government and councils deliver, so what is the point in holding things back?

Along similar lines, we in Ribeira Brava have been treated to free entertainment over the Summer weekends. At first it was once a fortnight or less, now it is every week, and the quality acts are being saved until the last weeks, as last night showed when probably over a thousand people came to watch several acts, one of which was imported. The president of Ribeira Brava was quoted in the newspaper some weeks ago as saying he doesn’t mix politics with business … yeah, right! Of course they are not really free, as someone pays for them, probably the taxpayer, or perhaps I have it all wrong and the PSD fund it all from their election budgets?

Loads of political stuff in today’s newspaper (more than the rest put together, excluding sport and entertainment), and on the TV, radio … it’s everywhere and there is nowhere to hide without going into hibernation. I reckon the Diário must have already sacked those 10 journalists, and it seems that none of the sacked ones were from the political reporting team.